Salts, Silks, and Spices

Trade routes were influential in the advancement of society and helped cultures combine to advance them into a new age.

Medieval trade routes were extremely important in the development of society; they allowed cultures to combine and extract the superlative advancements in technology general welfare, forming an exchange of the best parts of each culture. Three cities are particularly good examples of how trade routes were integral to the advancement of the world. These cities are: Cairo because of its’ geographical position, Venice because of it’s power and abundance of tradable goods and commodities, and Constantinople because of it’s history.

Even though modern day Cairo is not a particularly wealthy city, medieval Cairo was influential to trade between eastern and western countries. It’s geographical position was perfect to help connect trade routes between the east and the west.

Throughout ancient times, Egypt has been one of the most important trade routes for the world and so it was from that, just as the archaic cities which proceeded Fustat, this new city also prospered from all manner of goods which where transshipped to wealthy markets in Europe. They also developed their own markets in spices, textiles and perfumes which were legendary throughout the world.

Two of the most popular traded items in Cairo were spices and silk, both of which came from the east. The Roman name Arabia Felix, or Happy Arabia was the trading center located on the South east coast of Arabia. There merchants traded Egyptian linens, Syrian glass, Chinese silks and the spices of Indonesia and all over the east. This is where most traders took port before Cairo and rested or repaired there ships and rejuvenated their crew. It was the last big city or stronghold before Cairo, so the crew made sure to really live it up just in case this trip was their last.

Spices were essential in the middle ages. the were used for flavor, for medicines, and for magic. They were so valuable that people used spices as a medium of exchange. The search for spices and the wealth and power that came with them encouraged many men to venture on journeys of exploration. Cinnamon came from China and Burma and was used not only for flavor but for cosmetics, drugs, balms, oils, and perfume. Nutmeg came from the Banda Islands. Cloves came from only two island; Ternate and Tidore in the Moluccas (south of Indonesia) which were also know as the Spice Islands. Pepper was grown only in India, although there were some poor substitutes found other places. Pepper was used extensively in cooking but was also believed to be a tonic, a stimulant, even as insect repellent and an aphrodisiac.